Knitting mechanism



NV 20, 1934- E. KlNsELLA r-:r AL 1,981,513

KNITTING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 26, 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet lv l l l Nov. 20, 1934. E. KlNsELLA Er AL KNITTING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 26, 1932 5 Sheets-Sheet? Nov. 2,0, 1934. E.AK|NsELLA Er 'AL 1,981,513

KNITTING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 26. 1932 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 FIQJ.

Patented Nov. 20, 1934 KNITTING MECHANISM Edward Kinsella, John Gordon Bernard Kelsall, Spondon, near Pratt, and Derby, England, assignors to Celanese Corporation of America,

Application October 26, In Great Britain 17 Claims.

This invention relates to the production-of textile fabrics, and more particularly to the production of knitted fabrics on warp knitting machines. v

The object of the invention is to improve warp knitting machines with the object of greatly increasing their rate of working and smoothness of operation, and rendering them capable of knitting fabrics of better and more uniform quality.

It has now been found that a much improved rate of operation can be effected by balancing various parts of the machine which are required to perform rapid, non-rotary motions. According to the invention, therefore, there are provided in connection withsuch parts balance members which are given movements of like angular velocity and magnitude in they opposite sense to those of the parts balanced, so as to give rise to equal and opposite resultant forces and neutralize the eifect of the forces employed to produce the knitting movements. The balancing masses are suitably distributed throughout the machine in correspondence withy the distributionin .the machine of the masses to be balanced.

p In machines of the type with which the present invention is concerned the knitting elements,

e. g. the needles, the sinkers and the presser 30 bars, are mounted and operated in the form of bars extending the Whole length of the machine and are actuated by cams usually disposed on a common cam shaft. Conveniently each bar is supported at a number of points along its length and is driven at some or all of such points by means of the cam and such'cam shaft. The cams themselves are preferably so designed as to be in balance on the cam shaft, so that they exert a ywheel effect which is of assistance in procuring smooth running.

The, needle, sinker, and presser bars being actuated at several points along their length, they can be regarded as the equivalent of a number of masses concentrated at these points. That is to say, the oscillating masses which are distributed substantially uniformly along the length of the' machine could be replaced by a plurality of masses of the same total amount arranged at the several operating points along the machine, in fact, the forces tending to Yset up vibration are applied at these points and are proportional to the mass there supported.

The invention therefore comprises the provision of balancing masses similarly distributed along the length of the machine, and preferably a corporation of Delaware 1932, Serial No. 639,638 November 3, 1931 in number equal to the number of operating points employed for each oscillating member. Each balancing mass oscillates about the same 'axis as the mass that it balances, being arranged at the same elective radius and given a move- CJ ment precisely similar in velocity but in the opposite direction, so as to produce neutralization of the vibrational forces obtaining.

It is convenient to carry the'balancing masses on rocker arms which are similar in construction and material to those operating the knitting members, so that the addition to the rocker arms of masses equivalent to the knitting members provides the necessary balance. Of course, if the knitting members have intermediate support- 70 ing rocker arms, as is convenient in the case of the needle and presser bars, the mass of these arms must be taken into account in computing the mass of the balance weights.

One balance weight could only be effective if 'Z5 placed at the same radius from the centre of oscillation as that of the mass to be balanced, but this arrangement is precluded because this mass runs continuously along the length of the machine. At least two balancing masses are, there- 8o fore, required in each of the balancing members; these masses are placed at radial distances from their centre of oscillation which enable the masses to be accommodated conveniently with respect to the mass that they balance. It has been found that in general two balance weights can be employed in connection with each operating point.

The moments of inertia of the two Weights must togetherequal the moment of inertia of the mass to be balanced about the axis of oscillation. Further, the sum of .their mass moments about this axis or radii which are the projections of their two radii on the plane passing through the centre of gravity of the mass to be balanced and the axis must be equal to the mass moment of the mass itself about theaxis.

By placing` one balancing lever alongside the lever of the system it is required to balance, the resultant forces do not quite neutralize each other, but this arrangement is satisfactory'in practice, since the forces constitute a couple which is extremely small in magnitude and not sufficient to set up more than the very slightest vibration. n

The two balance weights may, as stated above, be placed at any convenient radial distance from the rocker shaft. Where convenient, one may be placed at a greater radial distance than that of the mass to be balanced and the other at a less 11o distance. 'HIL however, the construction. of the machine does not permit such an arrangement, other positions for the weights may be adopted, the masses of the weights being adjusted in accordance with their radii so as to fulfill the rel quirements of the two equations given above with regard to the moments of inertial and the mass` This difficulty may be overcome bythe provision of a weight moving with the guide bar mechaing conveniently .driven by ratchet gear fromv nism so as to shift the mass ofthe guide bars and their rocker and supporting arms away from the pathof the rear set of warp threads. By suitably positioning this weight themass of the guide bars and associated parts may be brought to such a position that their motions may be balanced'by means of a single balance weight instead of by two balance weights. The rocker shafts of the machine are, as previously stated, made sumciently strong to resist the-torsional forces involved in applying the oscillatory movements. and at the same time they are strong `enough to resist the small4 couples arising from equal and oppositel balancing forces. As described above the actuating `and balance cams can all be arranged on a single cam shaft, and even if the operating c ams themselves are not in balance, the provision of the balance cams enables complete balance of the cam shaftto be easily obtained. Therefore, the whole of thej elements involved in high speed oscillatory movement are so arranged as to produce the very minimum of vibrational forces. Conveniently the operating and balance cams are constructed as a single element so that the timing of the balancing member is always correct with respect to the timing of the corresponding knitting member. 'I'hus the two camelements may be mountedon a common hub, which arrangement facilitates the formation of the cams themselves while allowing them to be placed close together so as to reduce to a minimum the small couple resulting from the equal and opposite forces applied at the two cams.

The warp feed mechanism may be of any suitable type but is preferably a kind specially adapted for a warp knitting machine Working at a high speed. Any suitable type of fabric take-up mechanism may be employed, this bethe cam shaft of the machine.

It is preferred to make the machine frame of extremely rigid construction so that it,does not .depend upon secure anchoring in position to resist vibration. y

`The invention will now be described in greater detail" with reference to the accompanying drawings but it is to be understood that this description iis given by way of example only, and is in no respect limitative.

Figure 1 shpws a sectional side elevation of a warp knitting machine according to the invention, showing the knitting parts and the rocker arm and cam drive for the needle bar;

Figure .2 is a View of the balancing mech- "anism for the needles and associated parts;

Figures'Sand 4 show respectively the sinker parts;

bar operating mechanism and the balancing mechanism for the sinkerbar and associated Figures 5 and 6 show respectively the presser bar operating mechanism of the balancing mechanism for the presser bar and associated parts; and,

Figure '1 is a rear view of one-half of the machine, showing the assembly of the operating and balancing mechanisms along the length of the machine, together with detailsI of the mechanisms which are described more fully in U. S. applications S. Nos. 639,631,l 6391632, 639,633, 639,634, all led Oct. 26,1932, corresponding to British applications Nos. 21763/32, ,21764/32, 21'165/32 and 21769/32 dated 3rd November, 1931.

Referring to Figure l, the machine comprises a frame 10 atfthe top of which is carried a bracket 11 supporting two warp beams 12, 13.-

Warp threads 14, 15 are drawn from the beams 12 13, and pass over tension bars 16, 17 pivoted on the bracket 11. Thel warp threads 14, 15

proceedfrom the bars 16, 1'1 to thread guides 19,7 20 which conduct them to the needles'21 where they are knitted into fabric by the interaction of the two rows of guides 19, 20, the needles 2l, sinkers 22, and presser bar 23, the

fabric 25 proceeding from the ineedles 21 to a `the guides 19, 20 swing about the shaft 28,

the sinkers 22 about .the shaft 29, and the presser 23 about the shaft 30.

Needle operation The needles 21 are held in a needle bar 31 which is moved up and down by means of a plu- -rality of levers secured to a shaft 33 so as to swing in unison. The butt end 34 of the lever 32 carries two cam bowls 35, 36, andthese cam bowls work on opposite sides of a cam 37 mounted on a disc or hub38 rotating on a cam shaft 39. The cam 37 operates upon the butt end 34 of the lever 32 and gives to the needles 21 the motion requisite for knitting. It will be seen that the needles 21 a'nd the needle bar 31, together with its intermediate, non-driven supportingv arms to be referred to. later, since they extend along the entire length of the machine, form a very considerable mass which is oscillated upy and down once in each course of knitting. The needle bar 31, together with its needles 21 and intermediate supporting arms to be referred to later, can however, be regarded as a plurality of masses which are all caused to move up and down by the forces vapplied by the rocker arms 32. The tendency to vibration resulting from these movingmasses and the forces producing their motion is balanced by -the provision of moving balance weights of equivalent mass and requiring equal, land opposite forces to bring about their motion.

The oscillatory movement of the needles 21 and needle bar 31 are balanced by means of weights shown separately in Figure 2 in their correct relationship to the shafts 29, 30, 33 and 39. Two weights 4'1, 42 are provided L.whose masses and distances from the rocker shaft 33 are appropriate to thev mass to be balanced and its distance from the same shaft. Thus regarding the mass of the needles and needle bar concentrated at any particular rocker lever 32 to be M, and the distance of its centre of gravity from the axis of the shaft 33 to be r, and the masses of the balance weights 41, 42 and the distances of their centres of gravity from the axis to be M2, M3 and r2, r3 respectively, suitable values can be given to these latter quantities which will enable them to neutralize substantially all vibration arising from the operation of the needle bar.

vIt will be seen fromthe drawings that the space available for balance weights is exceedingly limited, not only because of the number of mechanisms to be operated in the length of the machine (as will appear more clearly later), but also because of the concentration of the guides, sinkers, and presser, and their bars and operating mechanisms in a space close to the needles. The positions to be occupied by the balance weights have, therefore, to be chosen carefully with regard to the positions occupied by the various knitting elements and their operating mechanisms, and also depend on the form of balance lever which can be accommodated.

Reference to Figure 2 shows the balance lever 43 arched to span the cam-shaft 39 with suicient clearance for its own motion, and the weights 41, 42 situated one between the rocker shaft 33 and the sinkers and presser, and the other between the cam shaft 39 and the rocker shaft 29. That is to say, the values of r2 and rs are closely limited. Greater latitude is, however, possible with regard to the magnitude of the balancing masses, since these can be extended lengthwise of the machine and so can be made relatively great` notwithstanding the smallness of their cross-sectional area as imposed by the space restriction above referred to. M1, r1 (the mass and effective radius of the needle bar) and r2, r3 can thus be regarded as constants and values of M2, Ms which will give practically complete balancing can be determined by the two following equations:-

where a and b are the radial distances of the centres of gravity of the masses M2, Ma projected on to the plane passing through the centre of gravity of the mass M1 and the axis of the shaft 33. These equations assume that the curvature of the path of the needles can be ignored in view of the relatively small length of path traversed.

For any particular cross-section ascribed to either of the two balance. weights, a length can be chosen for the weight to give it the required mass. In Figure 2, therefore, the actual crosssections of the weights 41, 42 must not be taken as necessarily being proportional to their masses, since either weight can extend for a suitable 'distance lengthwise of the machine to bring its mass to the magnitude necessary to satisfy the balancing equations given above. Of course, the balance lever 43 itself adds to the balancing mass and must be taken into account in determining their magnitude. It will be seen that the operating lever 32 is also arched over the shaft 39 in extendingto its butt-end, occupying vpractically the whole of the space between the shafts 33, 39. The construction of the operating and balance levers will be set out more fully hereafter.

The butt end 44 of the balance lever 43 is provided with cam bowls 45, 46, which are operated upon -by a cam 47 shown in dotted lines, being on the opposite side of the cam plate 38 to the cam 37 shown in Figure 1. The cam operating the weights 41, 42 is of such profile as to give to the weights 41, 42 a motion opposite in direction but equal in velocity to that given to the needle bar 31 by the cam 37, so that the oscillating forces developed by the needle bar 3l and the weights 4l, 42 are equal and opposite and so balance one another. Actually, since the balancing forces must necessarily act in a different plane from the forces they neutralize, a couple must ultimately result from using one balance lever 43 in connection with each loperating lever 32, but by placing the levers side by side, as shown in Figure 7, the magnitude of such couples can be made of negligible va1ue.

Snker operation In Figure 3 one of a number of rocker levers 50 carrying the sinker bar 51 is shown, the bar 51 extending the whole length of the machine and having the sinkers 22 mounted thereon in a long series. Similarly to the needle rocker lever 32 `shown in Figures 1 and 2, the rocker lever 50 is provided at its butt end 52 with cam bowl 53, acting one on each side 4of a cam 54 projecting from the face of a disc 55 mounted upon the cam shaft 39. 'I'he sinkers 22 are shown in their forward position and the limits of motion of the butt 52 of the lever 50 are indicated in dotted lines.

The mass of the sinker b ar 51 and the sinkers 22 along the length of the machine is balanced by means of weights 57, 58 carried and actuated by a lever 59 as shown in Figure 4. Here again the butt end 60 of the lever 59 is provided with cam bowls 6l, the cam bowls being operated upon by a cam `62 shown in dotted lines, which lies on the Aopposite side of the cam disc 55 to the cam 54. Since the sinker bar 51 is in its forward position the balance weights 57, 58 are shown in Figure 4 in their vcorresponding rearward position, the forward limit of motion being'shown in Figure 4 in dotted lines. In the three pairs of Figures 1 2, 3-4 and 5-6, the operating and balance levers respectively are shown in substantially correct position relative to each other. For example in Figure 1, the needle lever 32 is at the end of its counter clockwise movement and balance lever 43 at the end of clockwise movement. the needle balance mechanism, the positions and cross-sections of the balance weights 57, 58 are closely determined by the space available. The weight 57 lies between the cam-shaft 39 and the sinker rocker shaft 29, while the weight 58 is accommodated between the shaft 29 and the fabric proceeding to the take-up device. The masses necessary for balance are determined from the magnitude and effective radius of themass of the sinker bar regarded as concentrated at each operating lever 50 and the radii chosen for the weights 57, 58 as in the case of the needle balance weights 41, 42, the weights 57, 58 being extended for asuitable length in accordance with their cross-sections.

The operating and balance levers 50, 59 extend to their butts between the cam-shaft and the pressure rocker shaft, the particular form of the levers being referred to again hereafter. The sinker operating and balance levers are arranged closely side by side to minimize the magnitude of the couple resulting from the forecs involved.

Presser operation The presser 23 is mounted on a. bar 66 carthe Shafts 39, 29 At0 the Shaft 30. It also eX- ried on the ends of 'a number of long swanmovements to be' effected without unduly. high necked levers 67 about the shaft 30. acceleration of the parts, even at very high The lever `67 -passes between th' shaft 33 and speeds of operation, a feature which is of direct A l the sinker bar 51, and then downwardly between advantage in reducing the magnitude of the ha! forces involved. tends sidewardly immediately below the s t 39450 form a. butt, end es of the 1ever 67 earry- General "ngement ing two cam bowls 69 which are operated upon Figure 7 shows an assembled view of the back by the two faces of a, cam 71 carried on a cam of one-half of the`machine provided with bal disc 72 mounted on the cam shaft 39. lThe lever anced knitting parts described above. -In this l 67 is shown in its rearward position, the forward figure three frame sections 10 are shown, and.

limit of motion being indicated in dotted lines. the shafts 28, 33, 39, /l are clearly visible In Figure 6 presser balance weights 73, 74 along the whole length of the machine, the shaft are shown carried on a lever 75l, whose butt 29 being concealed behind the shaft 39. In end 76- is provided with cam bowls 77. f addition, one set of guides 20 is shown broken The weights 73. "74 are carried one between towards the right hand end of the machine, a the butt end of the lever 75 and the other on a set of needles ,21, a sinker bar 51, and presser.

forward extension of the -lever below the fabric bar 66 carrying the presser 23 towards the left DaSSiIlg t0 the take-up device. The pOSitiOnS hand'end of the machine. `Operating rocker and dimensions of the balance weights .are delevers' 32 for the needle bar 31 are shownat termined from the magnitude and effective rathree points on this figure together with the dius of the mass of the presser bar concentrated cam discs 38 with' the cams 37 on the right 3s` Operating lever and balance lever construction at each operating level aS in the CaSe 0f the hand side thereof, operating on the cam bowls needle and sinker balance weights.. The operetmounted on the `levers 32. The lever 43 ing and balance levers are arranged closely Slde balancing the movement of the needle bar is by side to minimize the resultant eellple- The shown in each'case on the left hand side of cam bowls 77 are operated upon by a cam '19 its corresponding needle-bar operating lever 32. shown in dotted lines" on the faceof the cam It will be unders that cam bowls 36 46 dSC '72 ODDOSite the 0am '71- Here 58am the utilized for operating the needle bar and the presser bar 66 being in its Vrearmost position, needle balance weights respectively lie inside the balance weights are in` their forward posithe cams 37, 47 and `are therefore not visible tion, their other limit of motion being Shown in The lever 32 on the left hand side of the ilg- Y ure is suitably broken away to show-the I-section form of the leveras at 160 and the coni `nection of the lever 32 tothe needle bar 31. Though the moving masses represented by Near the right hand end of the machine, a nondotted lines.

v the operating' and balance .leVeIS may be Tela operated intermediate needle rocker arm 163 is to a minimum, while giving the greatest resistconstruction, i v

tively small with respect to the moving mass shown this arm merely serving iio support the of the needle bar, it is preferred to make the needle bal. 31 and not t0 operate it. As has llevers of lighty but strong material, such as already been indicated the mas-s' of this lever of elasticity soas to reduce. their inertia, and the masses to be balanced. Like the operated consequently the power required to drive them, levers, it* ls therefore made of light but rigid are also clearly ance to'deection under the forces to which they The Sinkeloperatlng levers are subjected. The sections `of the levers are Shown at two points, and it will be understood of symmetrical form, or at any ratew offsimple preferably in the general form of a- U Or ll S0 that these levers 50 are mounted uponthe shaft as to resist bending. the WebS 0f t"he SeetlODS 29 which lies behind the shaft 39. Part of the aluminium alloy .or steel with a high medllluS is taken into account in computingthe value of being cut away for the sake of lightness as Shown shaft 33 is broken away to show the upper end I vin Figures 1 to 6. Further, the Section S made of the lever 50 together with part of the sinker as great as possible t0 secure rigidity, especially bar 51 in the left, hand half of the machine. The at the Vparts subjected to the greatest bending rocker arm 50 is operated by cam bowls 53 ,one movements. The fseveral `forms of lever illusof which being inside the cam 54 is shownl in I trated show how these. large sections can begdotted On the other side of the cam disc obtained. Theweights are conveniently formed 55 to the cam 54. is the balance cam 62 engaging on the balance levers by filling suitably dimenwith cam bowls 6l of `the balance lever 59. sioned cavities with heavy metal suoli as lead. The balance weight 57 attached to the balance Preferably, the cross-sections of the weights are lever 59 is shown about the shaft 39.

The presser rocker arms 67 arelshown at two vgeometrical form, for the accurate determina- Apoints of view in the right hand side of the mation of their centres of gravity and the comchineA being iniull. In addition three intermediputation of the amount of loading material reate levers 170 are shown for the presser arm, y quired to fulfil the balancing equations. these levers merely supporting .the `presser bar'` The butt-ends of each pair ofl operating and and lbeing keyed to the lever 30 without being Vbalancing levers are. so disposed thattheir cam actuated; -The rocker arms 67 are provided wrth bowls act at the same angularl positions o n their cam bowls shown at 69 operating `on cams 71 two cams. The cam bowls are preferably adjustable'in order to regulate the field of traversev 0f each veem diSC 72 iS e balance Cam 79 0D*- of the parts operated and/or to take up wear. erating upon eem bOWlS 77 Carried by the Dresser .In the drawings, each cam is shown arranged balance liever 75. to give o'ne complete oscillation for each revo- The operating and balance levers of .each lof.' lution, though, of course, more than one oscilthe several bars .are arranged as uniformly as 'lation could be effected if desired. The large possiblevalong the length of each bar, subject periphery of the lcams assists in the smooth to th provision of sumcient space and the necarried by the cam disc 72. On the other side 5 operation of the mechanism and enables the cessity for dividing the machinel bythe interf- 15 mediate frames 10. f course, where uniform spacing of the llevers is not possible, the balance Weights are adjusted in size in accordance with the lengths of bar supported at each rocking lever and with the masses of any intermediate supporting levers, as in the case of the needle and presser bars.

The needle, sinker and presser bars are all of rigid construction so as to resist deflection by bending between points of support. Further, in order to reduce the oscillating masses to a minimum, a light construction of needles and sinkers should be adopted. In this connection, reference may be had to U. S. application S. No. 639,637 led Oct. 26, 1932 corresponding to British application No. 21768/32 dated 3rd November, 1931.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent isz- 1. A warp knitting machine comprising knitting elements, balancing elements auxiliary thereto, means for actuating said knitting elements, and means for actuating said auxiliary elements in synchronism with but in the-opposite sense to said knitting elements, the mass of the auxiliary elements in relation to the mass of the corresponding knitting elements being such that the auxiliary elements and the knitting elements require substantially equal driving forces, and the driving means for the auxiliary elements being so disposed with relation to those of the knitting elements that the driving forces Ysubstantially oppose each other so that vibrational forces resulting from the driving of the knitting elements are substantially neutralized.

2. A warp knitting machine comprising a needle bar, balancing elements auxiliarythereto, means for actuating said needle bar, and means for actuating said auxiliary elements in synchronism with but in the opposite sense to said needle bar, the mass of the auxiliary elements in relation to the mass of the needle bar being such that the auxiliary elements and the needle bar require substantially equal driving forces, and the driving means for the auxiliary elements being so disposed with relation to those of the needle bar that the driving forces sub.- stantially oppose each other so that vibrational forces resulting from the driving of the' needle bar are substantially neutralized.

3. A warp knitting machine comprising a sinker bar, balancing elements auxiliary thereto,

means.. for actuating said sinker bar, and means.V

for actuating said auxiliary elements in synchronism with but in the opposite sense to said sinker bar, the mass of the auxiliaryl elements in relation to the mass of the sinker bar being such that the auxiliary elements and the sinkerv bar require substantially equal driving forces, and the driving means for the auxiliary elements being so disposed with relation to those of the sinker bar that the driving forces substantially oppose each other so that vibrational forces resulting froml the driving of the sinker bar are substantially neutralized.

4. A .Warp knitting machine comprising a presser bar, balancing elements auxiliary thereto, means for actuating said presser bar, and means for actuating said auxiliary elements in synchronism with but in the opposite sense to said presser bar, the mass of the auxiliary elements in relation to the mass of the presser bar being such that the auxiliary elements and thepresser bar require substantially equal driving forces, and the driving means for the vauxiliary elements driving the knitting elements andthe being so disposed with relation to those of the presser bar that the driving forces substantially oppose each other so that the vibrational forces resulting from the driving of the presser bar, are substantially neutralized.

5. A warp knitting machine comprising a knitting element assembly, a plurality of operating and supporting members therefor, av

plurality of balancing elements auxiliary to the knitting elements, driving means engaging said operating and supporting members to impart knitting movements to the knitting elements, and means for actuating said auxiliary elements in synchronism with but in the opposite sense to said knitting elements, the mass of the auxiliary elements in relation to the mass ofthe corresponding knitting elements being such that the auxiliary elements and the knitting elements require substantially equal driving forces, and the driving means for the auxiliary elements being so disposed with relation to those of the knitting elements that the driving forces substantially oppose eachA other so that vibrational forces resulting from the driving of the knitting elements are substantially neutralized.

6. In a warp knitting machine, knitting element operating and,A balancing mechanism according to claim 5, wherein the balancing members and driving means therefor are equal ,in number to and disposed close to their respective driving and supporting members for the knitting elements, so as to reduce to a minimum the couples resulting from the forces involved in balancing members.

7. A warp knitting machine comprising a knitting element assembly, a plurality of supporting members for said assembly, driving means for certain of said supporting members for actuating the knitting elements, balancing means auxiliary to the knitting elements, and means in connectionwith each of said driven supporting members for actuating saidauxiliary elements in synchronism with but in the opposite sense to said knitting elements, the mass of the auxiliary elements in relation to the mass of the corresponding knitting elements being such that the auxiliary elements and the knitting elements require substantially. equal driving forces, and the driving means for the auxiliary elements being so disposed with relation .to those of the knitting elements that the driving forces substantially oppose each other so that the vibra- `tional forces resulting from the driving of the knitting elements are substantially neutralized.

8. A warp knitting machine comprising knitting elements, balancing elements auxiliary thereto, means for actuating said knitting elements, and means for imparting to said auxiliary elements angular movements equal in vmagnitude and velocity but opposite in sense to those of said knitting elements, the mass of the auxiliary elements in relation to the mass of the corresponding knitting elements being such that the auxiliary elements and the knitting elements require substantially equal driving forces, and the driving means for the auxiliary elements being so disposed with relation to those of the knitting elements that the driving forces substantially oppose each other so that vibrational forces yresulting from the driving of the knitting elements are substantially neutralized.

9. A warp knitting machine comprising a knitting element assembly, a plurality of operating and supporting members therefor, a plurality of balancing elements auxiliary to the knitting elements, driving means engaging said operating and supporting `members to impart vknitting movements to the hitting elements,

and'means for imparting to said auxiliary elements angular movements equal in magnitude and velocity but opposite in sense to those of said knitting elements, the mass of the auxiliary elements inrelation to the mass of the corresponding knitting elements being such that the 10. In a warp-knitting machine, a series of knitting elements,1a bar carryingv said elements, a plurality'of operating and supporting -members for said bar, driving means engaging said loperating andusupporting members to impart knitting movements to the knitting elements,'a plurality of members respectively adjacent to said operating and. supporting members and each comprisingia plurality of weights adapted to balance the mass of the knitting elements and bar supported by the adjacent operating volved in their operation. 4

elements,at least one cam having two operating member, and driving means engaging' said balancing membersto impart thereto such movements/of opposite sense to those of the knitting elements that the knitting elements and balancing means produce forces which substantially neutralize eachother. v

11. In a warp-knitting machine, a knitting element assembly, an operating cam adapted to impart knitting vmovements to said assembly, balancing means for said assemblyfand an operating cam adapted to .impart such movements of opposite senseto those of the knitting element assembly that the knitting element assembly and the "balancing means produce forces which substantially neutralize each other, the

respective operating cams being mounted closev together on a common driven member so as to minimize the couple arising from the 12. In a warp-knitting machine, needle-bar,

sinker-bar and presser-bar assemblies, operating -adapted to, impart to said balancing means such movements of opposite sense to those of their respective assemblies that each ,assembly and the balancing means produce forces which lsubstantially neutralize each other, and a camshaft, said-cams being mounted on said camshaft in pairs of which one,.cam is an assembly operating cam and the other a balancing means operating cam for that particular assembly.

13. In a' hitting machine, a series of hitting surfaces, connecting means between said cam and, knitting elements and having a cam follower engaging one cam surface to impart motion to the lntting elements in one direction and forces inaJ second follower engaging the other cam surface to impart motion lto the knitting elements in4 theo'ther direction, balancing means for the 'series of knitting elements. and at least o ne cam for producing in the balancing means movements equalin velocity and magnitude but opposite `in direction to those of the knitting elements, said cam having twooperating surfaces for respective engagement fwith two cam fol-l lowers similar to those of the knitting element weighted levers so as to impart such movements of opposite sense to those ofl their respective.

knitting element assemblies that each assembly and its balancing means produce forces which substantially` neutralize each other.

15. A Warp-knitting machine comprising needle, sinker, and presser bars,'operating levers carrying said bars, a vcam-shaft, a plurality ofl cams thereon adapted to engage said operating levers directly for operation of the needles, sinkers and presser carried by the bars, weighted I levers adapted to balance the. respective bars,

and further cams `on the cam-shaft adapted to f engage the weighted leversdirectly and impart thereto such movements of opposite sense to those -of the bars to be balanced that each bar and the balancing means therefor produce forces y which substantiallyv neutralize each other. 16. In a` warp knitting machine, needle bar, sinker bar and presser bar assemblies, operating cams adapted to impart hitting movements to the respective assemblies, balancing means in connection with each'assembly,'operating cams adapted to l`impart to said balancing means angular movements equal inmagnitude and velocity but opposite in sense to those of their respective assemblies so as to neutralize the forces produced by the movements of suchassemblies, and a cam shaft, said cams being mounted on said camshaft in pairs of which one cam is an assembly operating cam and the other a balancing means operating cam for thatassembly.v`

1'?. A warp knitting machine comprising needle, sinker, and presser bars,'operat.ing levers carrying said bars, a cam shaft, 'a plurality of cams thereon adapted to engage said operating levers directly for operation of the needles, sinkers and presser carried by the bars, weightedl bleversadaptedv to balance the respective bars, .and further camsfon the cam shafty adapted to engage the weighted levers directly and impart thereto such movements of opposite sense to those of the bars to be balanced that each bar 

